Discover regional and national arts resources on topics ranging from arts accessibility and education to entrepreneurship and research.
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Accessibility
ADA Self-Assessment for Arts Organizations: The place for arts managers to begin an organizational accessibility audit, created by The Cultural Access Network.
Design for Accessibility: A Cultural Administrator’s Handbook: National Endowment for the Arts
LEAD Research and Resources: A series of free online resources covering many accessibility topics in an arts and culture setting, created by the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.
Smithsonian Guidelines for Accessible Exhibition Design: This PDF reviews everything from label design to lighting when designing an accessible exhibition.
Advocacy
Arts Advocacy: Communicating with Elected Officials: Greater Pittsburgh Arts Council
Arts Advocacy Toolkit for Individuals and Organizations: Americans for the Arts
Pennsylvania Advocacy Toolkit: Citizens for the Arts in PA
National arts advocacy tools: National Assembly of State Arts Agencies
Congressional Arts Handbook: This tool by Americans for the Arts provides arts-related data to those making requests of their representatives on National Arts Advocacy Day.
Arts Mobilization Center: Read issues statements on the NEA, NEH, CPB and charitable giving to the arts.
Arts Education
A Beginning List of EdTA Resources for Creating Online Learning: Educational Theatre Association
Creating Pennsylvania’s Future through the Arts and Education: The Education Policy and Leadership Center
Resources offered by Arts Education Partnership
Arts Education Collaborative Resources
National Guild for Community Arts Education Resources
Teaching Artist Pay Rate Calculator: Teaching Artist Guild
Directory of Teaching Artist Training Programs Nationwide: Teaching Artist Guild
Arts Entrepreneurship
Work of Art: Business Skills for Artists: Springboard for the Arts offers a downloadable toolkit with access to advice on creating artist statements, resumes, contracts and more.
Business of Art: New York Foundation for the Arts
Handbook for Artists Working in Community: Springboard for the Arts
How to Thrive as a Mature Artist: New York Foundation for the Arts
Navigating Sponsorship Opportunities: New York Foundation for the Arts
Marketing for Artists in the Digital Age: New York Foundation for the Arts
Building a Project Budget: New York Foundation for the Arts
Estate Planning for Visual Artists Workbook: Joan Mitchell Foundation
Fillable Legal Forms: FormsPal
Arts Service Organizations and Peer Groups
Artists U: An incubator for changing the working conditions of artists.
Association of Performing Arts Professionals (APAP)
Center for Cultural Power / CultureStrike: Art activism and social change
The Field: National arts service organization
Fractured Atlas: National arts service organization
National Performance Network (NPN): National organization peer network
Springboard for the Arts: Regional arts service organizations with national resources
Theatre Communications Group (TCG)
Visual Arts Coalition for Equity: Eight Pittsburgh organizations
Equity and Anti-Racism
Anti-Oppression Resource & Training Alliance
Antiracism, Multiculturalism, and Interracial Community: Three Educational Values for a Multicultural Society: Lawrence A. Blum, University of Massachusetts
ArtEquity Resource Library: ArtEquity
BIPOC Demands for White American Theatre: We See You White American Theatre
Developing Multicultural Organizations: Bailey W. Jackson and Evangelina Holvino
Dismantling Racism Works Web Workbook: This website is a web-based version of a workbook designed originally to support the Dismantling Racism workshop offered by Dismantling Racism Works, a training collaborative.
White Supremacy Culture: Tema Okun
Racial Equity Principles: Tema Okun
The Effects of Diversity on Business Performance: Report of the Diversity Research Network: Human Resource Management Vol. 42
Latinx: A Brief Guidebook: Princeton LGBT Center
LGBTQ+ Media Reference Guide: GLAAD
Visual Arts Coalition for Equity: Eight Pittsburgh organizations
White Awake Online Manual: White Awake
Emergency Resources
Shuttered Venues Operators Grant
Artist Get Ready + COVID Career Resilience Grants
Foundation for Contemporary Arts Emergency Grants
Music
Community Sustainability Planning Guide:
Pittsburgh Music Ecosystem Study: 91.3 WYEP, Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership and the City of Pittsburgh
Nighttime Economy Manager: City of Pittsburgh
Fair Play Pittsburgh music resources and studies
Pittsburgh Music Ecosystem Project: Facebook group
Performing Arts
Resources for moving dance-based pedagogy online: Dance Studies Association
Creating Virtual Performances: Educational Theatre Association
Self-Tape Best Practices: Backstage
Research
Creative Generation Research: Capacity building and learning organization, Creative Generation’s research focuses on advancing the field of practice at the intersection of arts/culture, education, and social change.
National Endowment for the Arts (NEA): The NEA publications library provides hundreds of research reports, essays, survey analyses, and briefs. Research covers a variety of disciplines.
Arts & Economic Prosperity: Americans for the Arts performs a national study of arts and economics every five years. In addition to the National Findings, Americans for the Arts also offers a Calculator to measure your own organization's impact and Tools and Resources with sample charts, press releases, and reports.
ArtsEdSearch: The ArtsEdSearch is a service of the Arts Education Partnership with research on arts education as it relates to students and educators both during the school day and out-of-school. Studies include
research overviews as well as policy implications.
Arts Index: Americans for the Arts produces the Arts Index resource that measures the health and vitality of the arts both locally and nationally, comparing participation, programming, expenditures, government support, and more.
Creative Industries: The Creative Industries Reports from Americans for the Arts provide insight from business and employment data for both the for-profit and nonprofit sectors. Reports may be viewed by State, Congressional District, County, or State Legislative Districts.
Createquity Arts Policy Library: This library from Createquity posts literature reviews on new and relevant arts research including Arts Education, Community Revitalization, Arts Funding, and Social Change. Each review contains a detailed summary, analysis, and implications along with recommendations for additional reading.
SMU DataArts: Financial, operational, and programmatic data collected by DataArts has been analyzed and presented in a growing number of research reports prepared by professional researchers around the country.
Grantmakers in the Arts Publications: Grantmakers in the Arts compiles hundreds of research publications on key issues related to arts policy and advocacy.
Research by the Greater Philadelphia Cultural Alliance: The Greater Philadelphia Cultural Alliance provides research on arts and culture in the Philadelphia region with reports on participation, history, funding, and more.
National Assembly of State Arts Agencies: NASAA offers lists of research tools and reports on issues pertaining to public policy and the arts.
TRG International Benchmark Dashboard: TRG offers case studies on arts marketing, audience growth, patron loyalty, and data-driven marketing for theatre, symphony, museum, dance, opera, presenters, and commercial entertainment organizations.
The Wallace Foundation Knowledge Center: The Knowledge Center from The Wallace Foundation provides research and resources on several topics including Arts Education. Strategy frameworks discuss key issues and research reports feature effective practices and new opportunities
Arts Management & Technology Laboratory: AMT Lab is a research center through Carnegie Mellon University’s Master of Arts Management Program covering current topics related to technology in the arts.
Visual Art
Visual Arts Coalition for Equity Resource Listing: VACE’s resource page is limited to paid opportunities for visual artists, with the exception of posts regarding spaces and facilities. This list is intended to act as a reference for individual artists who are looking for the resources needed to learn, grow, and sustain their artistic practices.
10 Point Guide to Writing Gallery Text: Victoria & Albert Museum
Complete Guide to Adult Audience Interpretive Materials: Gallery Text and Graphics: The J. Paul Getty Museum
Guidelines for Label-Writers: Smithsonian Exhibits
Excellence in Exhibit Label Writing Competition: American Alliance of Museums
Complete Guide to Adult Audience Interpretive Materials: Gallery Texts and Graphics: The J. Paul Getty Museum